The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-11-25
FROM THE -FOUR CORNERS.

A LOSS OF two million dollars was sus-
tanned by Nebraska last year through the
cattle fever.
A PRrzK Of one hundred thousand dol
lars is being raised by the business men
Of Buffalo to be awarded for the best
device Of utilizing the water-power Of
Niagora.
MINNESOTA has one OF tho richest iron
ore deposits on the continent. Numerous
companies are organizing to develop the
reputed great mineral wealth located in
the Vermillion range.
A GAs-BEARTNG district has been dis
covered in Canada on the north shore OF
the river st. Lawrence, not far from
Montreal. Companies are forming for
the purpose of putting in wells.
FRANCE is undoubtedly the wine-drink-
ing nation of the world. Reliable statist-
les places its annual consuption per cap
ita at thirty-four gallons against less than
one-half gallon per capita OF ther othe ma
tions.
THE city Of New York has about twen-
ty large steam bakeries, giving employ
ment to several hundred men. These,
it is estimated, turn out daily over seven
ty-five thousand loaves, consuming for
the purpose nearly three hundred barrek
of -four
THERE were 100000 bushels OF cranber-
ries raised in the United States last wear,
The leading States in their growth are
Massachusetts,, New Jersey, Wisconsin
and Connecticut. New Jersey alone has
over five thousand acres under cultiva-
ton.
In Algeria there is a small stream
which the chemistry OF nature has con-
verted into true ink. 1t is formed by tho
union of two rivulets, one of which is
very strongly impregnated with iron,
while the other, meandering through
peat marsh, imbibes gallic acid another
ingredient in the formation OF ink. Let
ters and other manuscript matters are
satisfactorily written with this singular
natural compound OF iron and gallic acid.
KEY WEST is a peculiar city, and DIFF
fers very little from West Indian town.
Half of the population is composed of
negroes, not the Southern variety, but
negroes from the Bahamas, who speak
cockney dialect. Another quarter is
composed of whites from the Bahamas
who also speak like cockneys, and are
generally known as "Conchs." The re-
naming quarter is composed OF Cubans,
and the total population is nearly 10000.
In the city museum at Nuremburg is
a vehicle thought to be the prototype OF
the tricycle. OF the present. 1t was built
in the early part of the seventeenth
century by the inventor, lame watch
maker of Altdorf for the purpose OF
wheeling himself about the country.
The machine wass at first constructed
with three wheels, but was transformed
into four-wheeled vehicle and was pro-
PEELED by hand-cranks, with a rotary
motion, turning cog-wheels on the for
ward axle.
TIE description OF very strange being
is related in recent issue OF the Atlanta
Constitution, who, when the torrid breath
of summer is at its hercest, remains
clothed in wooens and experiences no
inconvenience unless it be through lack
OF warmth while in the most frigid
winter weather he becomes heated and
oppressed as though suffering the effects
OF torrid wave. According to the ac-
count this popularity has been his form
infancy, and scientific investigation has
utterly failed to develope the cause OF
his strange condition.
THE superintendent OF teegraphs at
Rome has just issued an order forbid
ing the employment OF women in the
offices. The reasons for this backward
step are not given, and are unknown.
There has been no complaint against
the female employees of the telegraph
stations. On tht contrary they have ac-
quilted themselves to the general satis-
faction, showing great capacity and as
siduity. In fact they have proved them
selves model administrators, not ustify-
ing single one OF the malign pre-
dictions made when this innovation was
adopted 1t would seem that the Italian
Governm ent has by no means freed it.
self OF the elements OF old-fogyism.